Evidence of Review Criteria Background and Context 1.List the names of the school board members and the number of terms or years they have served.Please be sure to indicate the length of a single term. Each board member is elected for a four-year term. The roles of president and vice president are a one-year appointment.Board President Christine M. Sopa has served since 2006; Vice President Kirsten A. Kammerer since 2006; Donna M. Zane since 2006; Lauren C. Camphausen since 2008; R. Christopher Loller since 2008, and Megan F. Byrne, Student Member, (1 year term) during the 2009-10 school year.
2.Describe the community in which your school district is located including information on the setting (urban vs. rural) and socio-economic profile.Given the community setting and profile, describe any pertinent challenges the school district has faced in developing and/or maintaining a comprehensive arts education program. Situated in the heart of the mid-Atlantic region accustomed to the sound of Canadian Geese, farm sounds, and fog horns, Cecil County, Maryland, is located midway between Baltimore and Philadelphia, PA. Providing a mixture of Chesapeake Bay on the southeast, rolling countryside adjoining Lancaster County, PA on the north, Susquehanna River basin on the west, and Delaware to the east, Cecil County is about 70% rural. It is dotted with farms and preserved with open spaces for bikers, hikers, equestrians, and watermen.Five major rivers and the Chesapeake Bay provide recreational activities for boating, fishing, swimming, and hunting.Cecil County is steeped in American history and contains a variety of museums and historical sites.It is the home of the oldest boarding school in the U.S., West Nottingham Academy, founded in 1777.
Because it is logistically isolated from the Baltimore urban community by the Susquehanna River and the Delaware state line, Cecil County still remains a smaller, poorer rural county. The population is 103,850 citizens with three quarters of the population equally divided among school age, young adult, and older adults. Children and senior citizens constitute the remaining quarter.There are approximately 1,980 federal, state, local, and private sector employers that employ 30,755 workers. Major employers include W.L. Gore & Associates, Cecil County Public Schools (CCPS), Perry Point VA Medical Center, Union Hospital of Cecil County, ATK, Wal-Mart, IKEA, and Terumo Medical. The unemployment rate is 8.6%.The Per Capita Personal Income is $34,009 as compared to the Maryland State Per Capita of $43,788. The Educational Attainment, age 25 and over, is 85.9% High School Graduate or Higher and 19.1% Bachelor’s Degree or higher. In the same manner that the Susquehanna River and Delaware state line have hampered economic development, these geographical lines have also placed limitations for expansion of the arts. Due to its distance and proximity to the metropolitan areas, Cecil County students have not been able to profit from the resources of the urban arts institutions and related resources.Additionally, because of its size and local wealth per pupil, Cecil County ranks in the bottom seven out of the 24 school districts in the state in financial resources.The culture of the region has not stimulated an arts focus. Despite these challenges, work during the past 13 years by the Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts, fine arts teachers, educational leadership team, and the school board has changed this culture. Since school year 1996-97, national, state, and local grants in the amount of $955,276 have been awarded; and local funding has been generated to help develop an exemplary, comprehensive fine arts program that has been recognized statewide.
District Data 3.How many students does the school district serve?Please provide a breakdown of the number of elementary, intermediate/middle, and secondary/high schools in your district. There are 16,138 students in the Cecil County Public Schools.The 17 elementary schools contain 7,467 students; six middle schools house 3,653 students; and five high schools accommodate 5,018 students.
4.How many full-time teachers are employed by the school district? How many part-time teachers are employed by the school district? Please indicate, by arts discipline, how many are full-time and part-time arts teachers?How many visual and performing arts supervisors are employed by the school district?Please describe the distribution of the arts teachers among the schools in the district.\ There are 1,342 teachers in the Cecil County Public School system.There are 90 full-time, highly-qualified and certified fine and performing arts staff that service the 28 schools.Every elementary school has general music, visual arts, integrated arts (dance & theatre), band/orchestra, and chorus teachers who provide at least 45 minutes of instruction every week.Every middle school has general music, and visual arts teachers who provide instruction to all students every year for one fine and practical arts rotation, as well as band/orchestra and chorus offered throughout the year.Every high school has visual arts, general music, band/orchestra, and chorus teachers, as well as theatre advisors and physical education/dance teachers who offer elective courses in all four of the fine arts disciplines. One Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts, a Music Resource Teacher (two days per week) and one Secretary (divided among three disciplines) provide direction and support to the program. The fine and performing arts teachers are assigned as follow:
Discipline
Elementary (17)
Middle (6)
High (5)
Total (28)
Visual Arts
13
6
14
33
Music
20
11
10
41
Integrated Arts (Dance)
13.5
*
*
13.5
Theatre
1.5
*
1
2.5
Total
48
17
25
90
* 2 contractual specialists who provide instruction and enrichment 4 highly-qualified teachers serve as theatre advisors in four of the high schools
In addition to the fine and performing arts staff, the integrated arts teachers and contractual specialists collaborate with classroom teachers to integrate the arts into general classroom instruction.With the start of our Arts Integration Institute this past summer (a week-long Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Continuing Education credited course), classroom teachers are being provided the training and capacity to teach using arts integration strategies and multiple-intelligence techniques in their classrooms.
5.Budget Information: The approved operating budget for FY10 is $180,806,259.The FY10 instructional budget for the district is $114,195,722.The percentage of the total annual budget spent on arts teachers’ salaries and instructional materials and supplies is 4%.The percentage of total instructional budget spent on arts teachers’ salaries and instructional materials and supplies is 6.3%.Using FY10 projected enrollment of 16,201 students, the budgeted amount spent on arts teachers’ salaries and instructional materials and supplies on a per pupil basis is $445.37.
Arts funding among the schools is based upon: 1) budget requests from each School Improvement Team for the academic disciplines within their building; and 2) the ratio allocation per student based upon the school population.These funds support instructional materials, small equipment, and textbook needs. The Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts allocates funds for transportation, equipment, instruments, uniform replacement, fine arts technology, new equipment, instrument repair and maintenance. The Instructional Coordinator also submits annual budgets based upon the needs of the department.
There are school-based and county resources for assistance programs for interested students who cannot afford arts’ fees.The “Instruments from the Attic” program provides instruments for students who cannot afford them.Individual schools provide resources for students who cannot afford laboratory or course fees or supplies.All State student expenses are covered through the Board allocations.Students who attend the Upper Chesapeake Summer Center for the Arts are provided financial assistance.
Instructional Programs 6.Provide a list of arts courses, the grade levels in which they are offered, and the average number of students enrolled.Please indicate by (*) if these arts courses are required.
Arts Courses
Grade Levels
Average Number of Students (Annually)
*Art
Pre K – 8
11,210
Band
4-12
1,430
Chorus
4-12
1,722
*General Music
Pre K – 8
11,120
*Integrated Arts
Pre K – 5
7,467
Strings/Orchestra
4-12
122
Foundations of Art
9-12
885
Creative Crafts
9-12
283
Humanities
9-12
29
Drawing I
10-12
121
2D & Graphic Design I
10-12
140
Drawing/Painting I
10-12
134
Sculpture & Ceramics I
10-12
227
Photography I
10-12
307
Drawing II
10-12
14
2D & Graphic Design II
10-12
26
Drawing/Painting II
10-12
31
Sculpture & Ceramics II
10-12
48
Photography II
10-12
64
Studio Sculpture/Ceramics
11-12
8
Studio 2D & Graphic Design
11-12
3
Studio Drawing/Painting
11-12
8
Studio Drawing
11-12
6
Studio Photography
11-12
12
AP Studio Art
11-12
6
Introduction to Dance
9-12
61
Gifted & Talented Dance
9-12
4
Honors Drama I
11-12
8
Honors Drama II
11-12
4
Theatre
9-12
198
Theatre Design
9-12
81
Jazz Ensemble
9-12
8
History of American Music
9-12
138
Concert Choir
9-12
120
Advanced Choral Ensemble
9-12
51
Guitar I
9-12
166
Guitar II
9-12
73
Music Keyboard I
9-12
267
Music Keyboard II
9-12
70
Band Front
9-12
13
Music Theory I
11-12
12
Music Theory II
12
2
AP Music Theory
11-12
4
Foundation to Digital Arts
12
4
7.Describe the distinguishing characteristics of any exemplary arts education (visual arts, dance, music, theatre) programs that have been developed, and in what grade levels they are offered.Also, indicate how many schools offer these programs.
Exemplary Program
Grade Levels
Number of Schools Offering
Fine arts staff in all areas increased 52% over the past 13 years – fully supported and funded by the Board of Education
K to 12
28
Addition of 15 Integrated Arts teachers (dance & theatre) – fully supported and funded by the Board of Education
K – 5
17
11 fine arts curricula developed
K – 12
28
Grade 4 & 7 Music & Art Assessments for past four years
4 and 7
23
Instrumental Music Evaluative Portfolio Assessment following students through program
4-12
23 (5 high schools added in next 2 years)
CREATE Theatre and Dance Specialist assisting middle schools to develop productions on a yearly basis and assist teachers to integrate at the middle school level
6-8
6
Instrumental strings and orchestra developed in county - Board of Education supported staff increases.
4 – 12
13
$955,276 local, state, and national grants awarded to CCPS Fine Arts Department in last 13 years
K – 12
28
Arts Integration Institute to train classroom and fine arts staff developed in June 2009
K-8
23
“Teaching Literacy through Comprehensive Musicianship” to train music staff for last 3 years
K-12
28
Continuous increase of student participation in art exhibits, county and state festivals each year
K-12
28
Upper Chesapeake Summer Center for the Arts residential program for gifted and talented students for past ten years - a program that is endorsed, supported & attended by the Board of Education
7-12
11 CCPS schools plus schools throughout Maryland
Collaborations with regional arts institutions to form ArtsReach and Fine Arts Advisory Committees
K-12
28
All middle and high school band, chorus, and orchestra programs evaluated in state festival adjudication format
7-12
11
Technology hardware and software implemented for all fine arts teachers and students ($135,137 over past 8 years)
K-12
29
Arts & Communication cluster pathways, courses, and curriculum developed for high school students
9-12
5
All County Honor ensembles developed for chorus, band, and orchestra - a program that is endorsed, supported & attended by the Board of Education
4-12
28
State-of-the-art fine arts facilities added to 13 out of 28 buildings in the past 13 years - all renovations endorsed, supported & approved by the Board of Education
K-12
13
One of the landmark accomplishments of the Cecil County Board of Education, Leadership Team, and Instructional Coordinators responsible for Fine Arts and Physical Education has been the addition of the Integrated Arts positions as a Fifth Special.Throughout the past 12-years an infrastructure has developed which contributed to the evolution of arts integration.The first two significant initiatives were the Goals 2000 CREATE grant, to include theatre and dance in the instructional program and the collaboration of the Fine Arts and Physical Education Coordinators to integrate dance and theatre with physical education.During the CREATE grant Dance and Theatre Curricula were produced and integrated lessons were put into place. These components provided a springboard for the Coordinators for Fine Arts and Physical Education to promote physical education, fine arts, and classroom teachers to work together using these materials to build upon lessons that utilize creative and purposeful movement. A momentum was building to include kinesthetic education within the school day. The third initiative contributing to this integration infrastructure involved classroom teachers working through their professional organization, the Cecil County Classroom Teachers Association (CCCTA), to negotiate an additional planning period for grade level collaboration.As a response to their request, the Board of Education and Educational Leadership took a Systems Approach to the issue. The accepted proposal was submitted collaboratively by the Coordinators for Fine Arts and Physical Education for an Integrated Arts Course.
The current research indicating a need for additional movement time for a sedentary culture and the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) requirements to include more movement as well as theatre and dance components, was a major force. Additionally, the data was clear in that 80% of the students are kinesthetic learners and students in Cecil County have one of the highest obesity rates in the state.
The addition of Integrated Arts has become an integral part of the elementary school curriculum. The elementary specialists and teachers are working together as a team to provide a comprehensive kinesthetic program within the arts and core disciplines.This collaboration and natural marriage between the arts and physical education is truly aunique model for Maryland and the nation.
8.Describe the visual and performing arts professional development opportunities that are offered to classroom teachers and arts specialists. Over the past 13 years, visual and performing arts teachers have been provided staff development sessions at least three times a year. These activities have been aligned with the National and State Teacher Staff Development Standards and CCPS system level initiatives.Generally, these sessions have focused on Instructional Best Practices, Curriculum Development, Inclusionary Strategies, Technology/Software training, Fine Arts Assessment, Comprehensive Musicianship, Music Literacy, Writing Unit Study Compositions, Silver Burdett Textbook Training, Baldrige Systems Thinking, Baldrige Instructional Strategies, University of Kansas Content Enhancement Unit Organizer, Instrument Repair; Technical Theatre, Music Pedagogy, Sight-Singing instructional strategies, Arts Integration, Evaluating Assessments, and Data Collection.These sessions have provided hands-on opportunities for teachers to learn, facilitate, collaborate, and improve instruction in their classrooms.
During the past ten years, several initiatives have been taken to train classroom teachers in arts integration and teaching utilizing Multiple Intelligence strategies.CREATE (Community Resources to Enhance the Arts and Team-teaching Efforts) lessons have been developed incorporating objectives and activities of multiple disciplines.These are contained on the CCPS Fine Arts web pages ( http://edservices.ccps.org/finearts/curriculum.html. The password is <create>). The Instructional Coordinator has been an active participant and presenter for AEMS (Arts Education in Maryland Schools) at their CAFÉ (Cultural Arts for Education) conference, MAIN (Maryland Arts Integration Network), and various committees sponsored by the organization.As CCPS has advanced into arts integration during the past three years within our county and as a part of the Maryland Artist Teacher Institute (MATI), we have developed a strong collaboration with the AEMS Alliance.Members of the AEMS staff have worked with the CCPS Fine Arts Coordinator to provide support and direction to teachers and administration regarding arts integration processes.They provided technical assistance in the development of the CCPS Arts Integration Institute that began in June 2009.An ongoing training opportunity for classroom and fine arts teachers, this institute has qualified as a Maryland State Department of Education Continuing Professional Development credited course.Teams of teachers, working with integration specialists, focused on Multiple Intelligences, Content Enhancement: Unit Organizer, Curriculum Mapping, and writing integrated units.Over 150 lesson seeds were developed by the teams (available on line at: http://edservices.ccps.org/finearts/Arts_Integration_Institute/aii.html). The week-long summer session follows up with two staff development days during the school year where teams will share their arts integration work accomplished each semester.Within the next several years, it is the hope that every elementary and middle school classroom teacher will be trained in arts integration. 9.Describe any partnerships or collaborations the school district has developed with cultural institutions and community arts resources, including, but not limited to, artist residencies, field trips, professional development opportunities for teachers, etc. The Fine Arts Department has taken a number of innovative steps to develop strong links with area cultural institutions and community arts resources.In school year 1996-97, a committee of CCPS, as well as representatives from the Cecil County Arts Council, Cecil Community College, and the Community Cultural Center, convened a series of meetings to explore the development of an arts advocacy group.These sessions resulted in the development of the ArtsReach Committee in 1997-98.The founding members were Cecil County Public Schools, Cecil County Arts Council, and Cecil Community College.Each of their Boards signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work cooperatively in developing a collaborative network of organizations and initiatives to expand and improve the arts and arts education in the community.Over several years, this Committee expanded to include 13 community organizations.Their cooperative work assisted in obtaining grants including: Goals 2000 CREATE, Maryland Summer Centers, Maryland State Arts Council Community Arts Development, “Instruments from the Attic,” and various Artists in Education awards.Aside from the grants, their work included enrichment fieldtrips annually involving thousands of students.These programs are developed in concert with Cecil Dance Theatre (CDT) and the Cecil College Cultural Center’s (CCC) Executive Directors.Students are able to attend performances that support the dance and theatre initiatives, as well as coordinate with the CDT and CCC performance season. Another very successful collaboration is “Instruments from the Attic.” The program is administered by the Fine Arts Music Office. Collaborators include the Cecil County Arts Council, area music vendors, and citizens who donate their used instruments.The program provides an instrument to students in need. Applications are submitted by both music teachers and parents.Every child who requests an instrument is provided one for a $15.00 deposit, which is reimbursed if the student chooses to discontinue their instruction and returns the instrument in good condition. Over the history of this program, hundreds of instruments have been donated and provided to respective students. Members of this collaborative group are also currently exploring a “Private Instruction Initiative,” which will provide master class and/or reduced cost ($5.00 per lesson) private instruction for students in need. For many of these children, music has become a life-changing opportunity.It is felt that private lessons can be crucial to a child’s development and success. Collaboration with Cecil College’s Visual Communication and the Community Cultural Center has provided hands-on staff development opportunities to all secondary art and theatre teachers in the areas of web design, Adobe Suite, Digital Imaging, and technical theatre. Work with the Cecil County Arts Council has also provided a variety of arts residencies, Artists in Education (AIE), and Community Arts Development grant awards to individual schools. They also help to support three major community exhibitions where students are bussed in from each school throughout the county. Within the past three years, an additional arts supporting committee, the Fine Arts Advisory Committee was formed.This group is a broad-based committee that is charged with providing input into the Fine Arts Master Strategic Plan and program implementation.The group consists of students, parents, community members, building administrators, and the Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts. Currently, the group consists of 45 members representing every aspect of the program. The work of this committee has led to expanded fine arts programs at the middle school level.
10.Describe expected student outcomes in the arts and your methods of assessing arts learning. The expected student outcomes in the arts for Cecil County Public Schools reflect the Maryland State Department of Education’s Essential Learner Outcomes for the Fine Arts and the Voluntary State Curriculum for Fine Arts.Generally, they include: 1) Aesthetic Education – Students will demonstrate the ability to perceive, perform, and respond to the art form; 2) Historical, Cultural, and Social Context – Students will demonstrate an understanding of the art form as an essential aspect of history and human experience; 3) Creative Expression and Production – Students will demonstrate the ability to organize ideas and techniques of the discipline creatively; and 4) Aesthetics and Criticism - Students will demonstrate the ability to make aesthetic judgments about the art form. CCPS Curricula have been developed for each fine arts discipline at every level.
The arts are assessed in a variety of methods. Generally, assessments are administered as formative and summative components in every elementary and secondary course.Assessment formats include selected response, brief constructed response, extended constructed response, on-demand performance/productions, or long-term production/performance.
System-level assessments have been developed for 4th and 7th grade students in music and art and Evaluative Portfolio Assessments for instrumental students in grades 5-12.We are currently in the fourth year of implementation for grade four, third year of implementation for grade seven, and third year of implementation for the Instrumental Evaluative Portfolio.These system-level assessments are administered in modules throughout the course of the school year. Performance scores are submitted in digital format to the Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts at the end of the year.
Role of the School Board 11.Describe how the board has contributed to the development of arts education within the school district, including, but not limited to policy development, district long-range/strategic plans for arts education, increasing commitment of general fund allocations, and cultivation of private or government grants.Please provide specific examples. As a public school system, Cecil County Public Schools has consistently developed a long-range strategic plan as a part of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Bridge to Excellence initiative.Prior to that, each local education agency (LEA) fine arts department was asked to develop a strategic plan to reflect their local initiatives and how MSDE Fine Arts Initiative Grant funds would be used to improve fine arts delivery.
The Board of Education of Cecil County has approved increased funding of staff, equipment, rotating high school band uniform replacement, and transportation.The Board fully funded the 15 integrated arts (IA) positions initiated as a part of the fifth special in the county’s 17 elementary schools.
12.How have members of the school board advocated for the inclusion of the arts in national, state, and/or local education reform efforts involving arts education standards and assessments?Describe examples of any efforts that have been made by the school district to include the arts in the core curriculum.Please provide specific examples. The inclusion of integrated arts (IA) teachers as specialist positions and the Arts Integration Institute, which began this past summer, are direct efforts to include the arts into the core curriculum.IA teachers work directly with classroom teachers to integrate outcomes and common themes.It was reported to the Board that teams from 16 elementary and 6 middle schools attended the Arts Integration Institute.Classroom teachers and specialists were trained on arts integration:University of Kansas Content Enhancement: The Unit Organizer; Multiple Intelligence instructional strategies; and curriculum mapping.From the institute, over 100 unit/lesson seeds were developed to serve as a beginning for each of the 22 teams to develop and expand in their individual schools.The teams will meet again in November and April of this school year to share the progress they have made since the summer Institute.This will be an ongoing staff development for CCPS.Participants receive three MSDE Continuing Staff Development credits.
Evidence of Review Criteria
Background and Context
1. List the names of the school board members and the number of terms or years they have served. Please be sure to indicate the length of a single term.
Each board member is elected for a four-year term. The roles of president and vice president are a one-year appointment. Board President Christine M. Sopa has served since 2006; Vice President Kirsten A. Kammerer since 2006; Donna M. Zane since 2006; Lauren C. Camphausen since 2008; R. Christopher Loller since 2008, and Megan F. Byrne, Student Member, (1 year term) during the 2009-10 school year.
2. Describe the community in which your school district is located including information on the setting (urban vs. rural) and socio-economic profile. Given the community setting and profile, describe any pertinent challenges the school district has faced in developing and/or maintaining a comprehensive arts education program.
Situated in the heart of the mid-Atlantic region accustomed to the sound of Canadian Geese, farm sounds, and fog horns, Cecil County, Maryland, is located midway between Baltimore and Philadelphia, PA. Providing a mixture of Chesapeake Bay on the southeast, rolling countryside adjoining Lancaster County, PA on the north, Susquehanna River basin on the west, and Delaware to the east, Cecil County is about 70% rural. It is dotted with farms and preserved with open spaces for bikers, hikers, equestrians, and watermen. Five major rivers and the Chesapeake Bay provide recreational activities for boating, fishing, swimming, and hunting. Cecil County is steeped in American history and contains a variety of museums and historical sites. It is the home of the oldest boarding school in the U.S., West Nottingham Academy, founded in 1777.
Because it is logistically isolated from the Baltimore urban community by the Susquehanna River and the Delaware state line, Cecil County still remains a smaller, poorer rural county. The population is 103,850 citizens with three quarters of the population equally divided among school age, young adult, and older adults. Children and senior citizens constitute the remaining quarter. There are approximately 1,980 federal, state, local, and private sector employers that employ 30,755 workers. Major employers include W.L. Gore & Associates, Cecil County Public Schools (CCPS), Perry Point VA Medical Center, Union Hospital of Cecil County, ATK, Wal-Mart, IKEA, and Terumo Medical. The unemployment rate is 8.6%. The Per Capita Personal Income is $34,009 as compared to the Maryland State Per Capita of $43,788. The Educational Attainment, age 25 and over, is 85.9% High School Graduate or Higher and 19.1% Bachelor’s Degree or higher.
In the same manner that the Susquehanna River and Delaware state line have hampered economic development, these geographical lines have also placed limitations for expansion of the arts. Due to its distance and proximity to the metropolitan areas, Cecil County students have not been able to profit from the resources of the urban arts institutions and related resources. Additionally, because of its size and local wealth per pupil, Cecil County ranks in the bottom seven out of the 24 school districts in the state in financial resources. The culture of the region has not stimulated an arts focus.
Despite these challenges, work during the past 13 years by the Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts, fine arts teachers, educational leadership team, and the school board has changed this culture. Since school year 1996-97, national, state, and local grants in the amount of $955,276 have been awarded; and local funding has been generated to help develop an exemplary, comprehensive fine arts program that has been recognized statewide.
District Data
3. How many students does the school district serve? Please provide a breakdown of the number of elementary, intermediate/middle, and secondary/high schools in your district.
There are 16,138 students in the Cecil County Public Schools. The 17 elementary schools contain 7,467 students; six middle schools house 3,653 students; and five high schools accommodate 5,018 students.
4. How many full-time teachers are employed by the school district? How many part-time teachers are employed by the school district? Please indicate, by arts discipline, how many are full-time and part-time arts teachers? How many visual and performing arts supervisors are employed by the school district? Please describe the distribution of the arts teachers among the schools in the district.\
There are 1,342 teachers in the Cecil County Public School system. There are 90 full-time, highly-qualified and certified fine and performing arts staff that service the 28 schools. Every elementary school has general music, visual arts, integrated arts (dance & theatre), band/orchestra, and chorus teachers who provide at least 45 minutes of instruction every week. Every middle school has general music, and visual arts teachers who provide instruction to all students every year for one fine and practical arts rotation, as well as band/orchestra and chorus offered throughout the year. Every high school has visual arts, general music, band/orchestra, and chorus teachers, as well as theatre advisors and physical education/dance teachers who offer elective courses in all four of the fine arts disciplines. One Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts, a Music Resource Teacher (two days per week) and one Secretary (divided among three disciplines) provide direction and support to the program. The fine and performing arts teachers are assigned as follow:
4 highly-qualified teachers serve as theatre advisors in four of the high schools
In addition to the fine and performing arts staff, the integrated arts teachers and contractual specialists collaborate with classroom teachers to integrate the arts into general classroom instruction. With the start of our Arts Integration Institute this past summer (a week-long Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Continuing Education credited course), classroom teachers are being provided the training and capacity to teach using arts integration strategies and multiple-intelligence techniques in their classrooms.
5. Budget Information:
The approved operating budget for FY10 is $180,806,259. The FY10 instructional budget for the district is $114,195,722. The percentage of the total annual budget spent on arts teachers’ salaries and instructional materials and supplies is 4%. The percentage of total instructional budget spent on arts teachers’ salaries and instructional materials and supplies is 6.3%. Using FY10 projected enrollment of 16,201 students, the budgeted amount spent on arts teachers’ salaries and instructional materials and supplies on a per pupil basis is $445.37.
Arts funding among the schools is based upon: 1) budget requests from each School Improvement Team for the academic disciplines within their building; and 2) the ratio allocation per student based upon the school population. These funds support instructional materials, small equipment, and textbook needs. The Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts allocates funds for transportation, equipment, instruments, uniform replacement, fine arts technology, new equipment, instrument repair and maintenance. The Instructional Coordinator also submits annual budgets based upon the needs of the department.
There are school-based and county resources for assistance programs for interested students who cannot afford arts’ fees. The “Instruments from the Attic” program provides instruments for students who cannot afford them. Individual schools provide resources for students who cannot afford laboratory or course fees or supplies. All State student expenses are covered through the Board allocations. Students who attend the Upper Chesapeake Summer Center for the Arts are provided financial assistance.
Instructional Programs
6. Provide a list of arts courses, the grade levels in which they are offered, and the average number of students enrolled. Please indicate by (*) if these arts courses are required.
7. Describe the distinguishing characteristics of any exemplary arts education (visual arts, dance, music, theatre) programs that have been developed, and in what grade levels they are offered. Also, indicate how many schools offer these programs.
One of the landmark accomplishments of the Cecil County Board of Education, Leadership Team, and Instructional Coordinators responsible for Fine Arts and Physical Education has been the addition of the Integrated Arts positions as a Fifth Special. Throughout the past 12-years an infrastructure has developed which contributed to the evolution of arts integration. The first two significant initiatives were the Goals 2000 CREATE grant, to include theatre and dance in the instructional program and the collaboration of the Fine Arts and Physical Education Coordinators to integrate dance and theatre with physical education. During the CREATE grant Dance and Theatre Curricula were produced and integrated lessons were put into place. These components provided a springboard for the Coordinators for Fine Arts and Physical Education to promote physical education, fine arts, and classroom teachers to work together using these materials to build upon lessons that utilize creative and purposeful movement. A momentum was building to include kinesthetic education within the school day.
The third initiative contributing to this integration infrastructure involved classroom teachers working through their professional organization, the Cecil County Classroom Teachers Association (CCCTA), to negotiate an additional planning period for grade level collaboration. As a response to their request, the Board of Education and Educational Leadership took a Systems Approach to the issue. The accepted proposal was submitted collaboratively by the Coordinators for Fine Arts and Physical Education for an Integrated Arts Course.
The current research indicating a need for additional movement time for a sedentary culture and the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) requirements to include more movement as well as theatre and dance components, was a major force. Additionally, the data was clear in that 80% of the students are kinesthetic learners and students in Cecil County have one of the highest obesity rates in the state.
The addition of Integrated Arts has become an integral part of the elementary school curriculum. The elementary specialists and teachers are working together as a team to provide a comprehensive kinesthetic program within the arts and core disciplines. This collaboration and natural marriage between the arts and physical education is truly aunique model for Maryland and the nation.
8. Describe the visual and performing arts professional development opportunities that are offered to classroom teachers and arts specialists.
Over the past 13 years, visual and performing arts teachers have been provided staff development sessions at least three times a year. These activities have been aligned with the National and State Teacher Staff Development Standards and CCPS system level initiatives. Generally, these sessions have focused on Instructional Best Practices, Curriculum Development, Inclusionary Strategies, Technology/Software training, Fine Arts Assessment, Comprehensive Musicianship, Music Literacy, Writing Unit Study Compositions, Silver Burdett Textbook Training, Baldrige Systems Thinking, Baldrige Instructional Strategies, University of Kansas Content Enhancement Unit Organizer, Instrument Repair; Technical Theatre, Music Pedagogy, Sight-Singing instructional strategies, Arts Integration, Evaluating Assessments, and Data Collection. These sessions have provided hands-on opportunities for teachers to learn, facilitate, collaborate, and improve instruction in their classrooms.
During the past ten years, several initiatives have been taken to train classroom teachers in arts integration and teaching utilizing Multiple Intelligence strategies. CREATE (Community Resources to Enhance the Arts and Team-teaching Efforts) lessons have been developed incorporating objectives and activities of multiple disciplines. These are contained on the CCPS Fine Arts web pages ( http://edservices.ccps.org/finearts/curriculum.html. The password is <create>).
The Instructional Coordinator has been an active participant and presenter for AEMS (Arts Education in Maryland Schools) at their CAFÉ (Cultural Arts for Education) conference, MAIN (Maryland Arts Integration Network), and various committees sponsored by the organization. As CCPS has advanced into arts integration during the past three years within our county and as a part of the Maryland Artist Teacher Institute (MATI), we have developed a strong collaboration with the AEMS Alliance. Members of the AEMS staff have worked with the CCPS Fine Arts Coordinator to provide support and direction to teachers and administration regarding arts integration processes. They provided technical assistance in the development of the CCPS Arts Integration Institute that began in June 2009. An ongoing training opportunity for classroom and fine arts teachers, this institute has qualified as a Maryland State Department of Education Continuing Professional Development credited course. Teams of teachers, working with integration specialists, focused on Multiple Intelligences, Content Enhancement: Unit Organizer, Curriculum Mapping, and writing integrated units. Over 150 lesson seeds were developed by the teams (available on line at: http://edservices.ccps.org/finearts/Arts_Integration_Institute/aii.html). The week-long summer session follows up with two staff development days during the school year where teams will share their arts integration work accomplished each semester. Within the next several years, it is the hope that every elementary and middle school classroom teacher will be trained in arts integration.
9. Describe any partnerships or collaborations the school district has developed with cultural institutions and community arts resources, including, but not limited to, artist residencies, field trips, professional development opportunities for teachers, etc.
The Fine Arts Department has taken a number of innovative steps to develop strong links with area cultural institutions and community arts resources. In school year 1996-97, a committee of CCPS, as well as representatives from the Cecil County Arts Council, Cecil Community College, and the Community Cultural Center, convened a series of meetings to explore the development of an arts advocacy group. These sessions resulted in the development of the ArtsReach Committee in 1997-98. The founding members were Cecil County Public Schools, Cecil County Arts Council, and Cecil Community College. Each of their Boards signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work cooperatively in developing a collaborative network of organizations and initiatives to expand and improve the arts and arts education in the community. Over several years, this Committee expanded to include 13 community organizations. Their cooperative work assisted in obtaining grants including: Goals 2000 CREATE, Maryland Summer Centers, Maryland State Arts Council Community Arts Development, “Instruments from the Attic,” and various Artists in Education awards. Aside from the grants, their work included enrichment fieldtrips annually involving thousands of students. These programs are developed in concert with Cecil Dance Theatre (CDT) and the Cecil College Cultural Center’s (CCC) Executive Directors. Students are able to attend performances that support the dance and theatre initiatives, as well as coordinate with the CDT and CCC performance season.
Another very successful collaboration is “Instruments from the Attic.” The program is administered by the Fine Arts Music Office. Collaborators include the Cecil County Arts Council, area music vendors, and citizens who donate their used instruments. The program provides an instrument to students in need. Applications are submitted by both music teachers and parents. Every child who requests an instrument is provided one for a $15.00 deposit, which is reimbursed if the student chooses to discontinue their instruction and returns the instrument in good condition. Over the history of this program, hundreds of instruments have been donated and provided to respective students. Members of this collaborative group are also currently exploring a “Private Instruction Initiative,” which will provide master class and/or reduced cost ($5.00 per lesson) private instruction for students in need. For many of these children, music has become a life-changing opportunity. It is felt that private lessons can be crucial to a child’s development and success.
Collaboration with Cecil College’s Visual Communication and the Community Cultural Center has provided hands-on staff development opportunities to all secondary art and theatre teachers in the areas of web design, Adobe Suite, Digital Imaging, and technical theatre. Work with the Cecil County Arts Council has also provided a variety of arts residencies, Artists in Education (AIE), and Community Arts Development grant awards to individual schools. They also help to support three major community exhibitions where students are bussed in from each school throughout the county.
Within the past three years, an additional arts supporting committee, the Fine Arts Advisory Committee was formed. This group is a broad-based committee that is charged with providing input into the Fine Arts Master Strategic Plan and program implementation. The group consists of students, parents, community members, building administrators, and the Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts. Currently, the group consists of 45 members representing every aspect of the program. The work of this committee has led to expanded fine arts programs at the middle school level.
10. Describe expected student outcomes in the arts and your methods of assessing arts learning.
The expected student outcomes in the arts for Cecil County Public Schools reflect the Maryland State Department of Education’s Essential Learner Outcomes for the Fine Arts and the Voluntary State Curriculum for Fine Arts. Generally, they include: 1) Aesthetic Education – Students will demonstrate the ability to perceive, perform, and respond to the art form; 2) Historical, Cultural, and Social Context – Students will demonstrate an understanding of the art form as an essential aspect of history and human experience; 3) Creative Expression and Production – Students will demonstrate the ability to organize ideas and techniques of the discipline creatively; and 4) Aesthetics and Criticism - Students will demonstrate the ability to make aesthetic judgments about the art form. CCPS Curricula have been developed for each fine arts discipline at every level.
The arts are assessed in a variety of methods. Generally, assessments are administered as formative and summative components in every elementary and secondary course. Assessment formats include selected response, brief constructed response, extended constructed response, on-demand performance/productions, or long-term production/performance.
System-level assessments have been developed for 4th and 7th grade students in music and art and Evaluative Portfolio Assessments for instrumental students in grades 5-12. We are currently in the fourth year of implementation for grade four, third year of implementation for grade seven, and third year of implementation for the Instrumental Evaluative Portfolio. These system-level assessments are administered in modules throughout the course of the school year. Performance scores are submitted in digital format to the Instructional Coordinator for Fine Arts at the end of the year.
Role of the School Board
11. Describe how the board has contributed to the development of arts education within the school district, including, but not limited to policy development, district long-range/strategic plans for arts education, increasing commitment of general fund allocations, and cultivation of private or government grants. Please provide specific examples.
As a public school system, Cecil County Public Schools has consistently developed a long-range strategic plan as a part of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Bridge to Excellence initiative. Prior to that, each local education agency (LEA) fine arts department was asked to develop a strategic plan to reflect their local initiatives and how MSDE Fine Arts Initiative Grant funds would be used to improve fine arts delivery.
The Board of Education of Cecil County has approved increased funding of staff, equipment, rotating high school band uniform replacement, and transportation. The Board fully funded the 15 integrated arts (IA) positions initiated as a part of the fifth special in the county’s 17 elementary schools.
12. How have members of the school board advocated for the inclusion of the arts in national, state, and/or local education reform efforts involving arts education standards and assessments? Describe examples of any efforts that have been made by the school district to include the arts in the core curriculum. Please provide specific examples.
The inclusion of integrated arts (IA) teachers as specialist positions and the Arts Integration Institute, which began this past summer, are direct efforts to include the arts into the core curriculum. IA teachers work directly with classroom teachers to integrate outcomes and common themes. It was reported to the Board that teams from 16 elementary and 6 middle schools attended the Arts Integration Institute. Classroom teachers and specialists were trained on arts integration: University of Kansas Content Enhancement: The Unit Organizer; Multiple Intelligence instructional strategies; and curriculum mapping. From the institute, over 100 unit/lesson seeds were developed to serve as a beginning for each of the 22 teams to develop and expand in their individual schools. The teams will meet again in November and April of this school year to share the progress they have made since the summer Institute. This will be an ongoing staff development for CCPS. Participants receive three MSDE Continuing Staff Development credits.